


A Sacrifice

by ekphonesis



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-08
Updated: 2015-06-15
Packaged: 2017-12-18 01:57:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/874376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ekphonesis/pseuds/ekphonesis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Wow has it been a long time since an update! I've finally gotten around to writing. And there will be another chapter right after this to be posted! c: Yee!</p><p>Thank you so much for reading! c:</p>
          </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

He was walking. Simply walking. But now, that wasn't it. He was also looking for something; no, not something. He was looking for someone. And he needed this person desperately. Without them, his plan would fail. And if it did fail, it could lead to the death of himself and the other gods. Not exactly good for his redemption. This person had to be perfect for his plan. So, he began his search, crossing each realm off his list as he thought of their flaws. Asgard was out of the question, given that using one of them would lead to an angry Odin. Vanaheim was on too good of terms with Asgard, same with Alfheim. Either of these realm's leaders would only report his activity to Odin if he didn't cover his tracks well enough. He didn't want to go to Jotunheim. He didn't need any more painful reminders of his his heritage. Muspelheim was a plain no; Frost Giants and Fire Demons don't mix. He himself was working with the Dark Elves, so no to Savartalfheim lest he anger his allies. He didn't like dwarves, so he didn't even bother going to Nidavellir. And trying to sacrifice a dead person was just stupid, so that crossed out Hel and Niffleheim. That left one realm: Midgard.  
  
He did not want to use a Midgardian as a sacrifice. He didn't like them, and they were under his brother's protection. If he found out that a Midgardian had been used in a sacrifice, Thor would have his brother's hide. So he would have to be discreet.  
  
No one could see the strange, other-worldly man even as he walked amongst them. No one could even hear his footsteps or his soft exhales. But he could see and hear everything that transpired around him. It was as if he had stepped into a memory of someone else's. Someone else's dream. But he would still have to be careful because if he touched someone or made something move accidentally, people would notice.  
  
He had spent over three days looking for the certain someone, and no one stood out. He was getting tired of looking for this person. He had almost convinced himself that he wouldn't be able to find them, because they weren't on Midgard. Almost.  
  
The day was average. He was walking in the park on a warm spring afternoon, and he was certain he wasn't going to find the person, until he walked past your group of friends having a picnic by the lake. When he passed by you, he froze in his tracks. He turned and looked at you, and was taken aback. Never had he seen a Midgardian that looked like you. You were more beautiful than any other Midgardian female he had seen. Your [h/c] hair flowed gently in the breeze, allowing the sunlight to shine on your exposed skin. It added a surreal effect to your beauty. Well, beauty for a Midgardian.  
  
There was something about you that wasn't present in the others. He looked you over again and saw what he had missed the first time. Surrounding you was a golden aura, only barely visible because of the light, but visible to the demigod nonetheless. He immediately understood what the light meant. You were pure of heart. Gentle and kind. Tender and generous. Helpful and respectful.  
  
Loki grinned mischievously. He had found the sacrifice.


	2. Chapter 2

"Thank you, we hope to see you again soon!"  
  
You hated your job. Every day you had to plaster a fake smile onto your face and deal with the rude customers who walked into the small, independently owned restaurant where you worked. Just because you didn't work anywhere fancy, people seemed to think they had the right to be a snob and a brat to you. You wanted to quit so badly.  
  
But you couldn't. It was the only way to pay your bills, which weren't helped by the fact that you had to take care of your alcoholic father. You kept urging him to quit drinking and get a job, but he never listened. Every day while you were at work he would be at the bar downing gallons of hard liquor at a time and getting into bar fights. Then, at around 8 every night, he would come home drunk, eat the dinner you laid out for him, and pass out on the couch. Literally.  
On the very rare nights when he wasn't drunk and hadn't found a girl to hook up with, you invited your friend Ashley over. She was super kind and, no matter how busy she was, she always made time for you because she understood how much you needed it due to your crappy life. She had been your best friend for a long time, and you loved her like a sister.  
  
One particular Saturday afternoon, Ashley called you up and asked if you wanted to go to some extremely important political event that the state senator was hosting. Ashley's aunt was high up in the government, so she always had opportunities to attend huge events like this. She knew you always wanted to get away from your father, and one night away from home was perfect. It gave you just enough time to relax and unwind after all the tribulations in your life.  
  
After Ashley texted the time and date of when to arrive at her place, you instantly knew what you had to do. Shop. You picked up your purse, grabbed your keys, and jogged out the door to search for the perfect dress.  
  
When you arrived at the local mall, you immediately took off for your favorite dress shop to find your dress. You walked in and inhaled the rich scent of expensive fabrics and other high class materials. You walked around absent-mindedly looking for a dress that caught your attention until you saw it. It was a purple dress with a single strap that would go over your left shoulder. It had rhinestones placed sporadically over the bust, and around your waist was a silver sash covered in even more rhinestones. The skirt would hang down to just above your knees and was covered in sparkling crinoline that made it poof out pleasantly.  
  
To sum up, it was beautiful. It was truly and utterly beautiful. All you could see was yourself in that dress, walking into the senator's house and stunning the entire crowd of government officials. You grabbed it and ran into the closest available dressing room to try it on. Its top fit you like a glove, giving you curves in all the right places without taking away your ability to breathe. You twirled in place, allowing the skirt to expand and twist back into its original position. You loved it. It had to be yours. You looked at the price tag and grinned like a mad man, because you had just enough to buy it. You quickly changed out of the dress, put it back on its hanger, and rushed to the check out. Once the dress was paid for, you left to find the rest of your ensemble.  
  
At another store, you purchased a pair of golden cage high-heels and a few items of jewelry, then headed home.  
When you arrived back at your apartment, you immediately became aware of the scent of alcohol, and your apartment reeked of it.  
  
 _Oh no..._  
  
You yanked your keys from your purse, unlocked the door, and hurried in to see your father drunk and passed out on the couch. You groaned inwardly and set down your shopping bags. Looking at your father, you sighed and hoped he would stay asleep for the entire night while you were at the party. When he was drunk, your father was also dangerous.  
  
You felt your phone vibrate in your pocket, so you fished it out of your purse to see another text from Ashley.  
  
 _Heyyyy, the party is TONIGHT. You got everything?_  
  
Sure do! Found the perfect dress earlier. Plus shoes and the perfect jewelry!  
  
Sweet! See you at my place tonight.  
  
Bye.  
  
You shut off your phone and set it on the nearby counter. Picking up your bags to go get ready to the party, you suddenly became aware that something didn't feel right. It was as if there was someone in the room who was watching you. Watching your every action, every move, every breath. It was eerie and creepy all at the same time. You brushed off the feeling as you made your way to your room and shut the door to change.  
  
After you were finally able to wiggle into your dress, put on your makeup, and get your shoes on, you stood in front of the full length mirror. You were gorgeous. Almost powerful.


	3. Chapter 3

As Ashley's fancy sports car pulled into the Senator's drive way, you couldn't help but be nervous. Sure, you'd been to these kinds of events before, but there had been rumors floating around that Tony Stark was going to make an appearance. You'd always been a fan of him and his science-y technological stuff, but you had become an even bigger fan once he created the Iron Man suit. It was the epitome of science and awesomeness; you were dying to see the billionaire and have an intelligent conversation with him.  
  
Ashley, on the other hand, would want to seduce him. That's why you were determined to keep her away from him if he was there. If.  
  
The chatter of other important music and government officials and their plus one, or two, or twenty filled your ears as you made your way into the huge building. It wasn't a home, it was a freaking mansion.  
  
"So, __________, how's your first party hosted by a Senator?" Ashley yelled over the music.  
  
You looked at your friend and yelled back, "Going great! I think!"  
  
Ashley chuckled. Right at that moment Senator Stern stepped up onto the obviously temporary stage and began to speak into the microphone. "Hello, everyone. I'm so very glad you all could make it! Even if most of you weren't invited..." Even though the last part of his introduction was said under his breath and not into the mike, you could still hear it. You giggled slightly as he spoke again. "Well, I really have no other things to say other than I hope you all enjoy yourselves!"  
  
Right after Senator Stern stepped off the stage, someone else climbed up onto the stage and spoke into the microphone.  
  
"Hey party people!" Tony Stark exclaimed. "How you guys doing?" The crowd cheered in response, "Now, this party would have been extremely boring if I hadn't shown up! So you're welcome!"  
  
"Tony is always quite the narcissist!" You yelled to Ashley.  
  
Ashley chuckled as another wave of cheers erupted from the crowd. He really was good with an audience.  
  
After Tony finished his little speech, much to Senator Stern's annoyance, he walked off the stage and yelled to Stern, "You need to leave; you'll only bring a rain cloud!"  
  
You could actually feel the tension between them. It was thick, like honey.  
  
The party lasted for a few hours before you were about to call it quits. As you sipped your last vodka of the night, someone sat down next to you. You glanced up and saw Tony Stark. Taking advantage of the nice surprise, you turned toward him in your seat and extended your hand. "Mr. Stark? Hi, I'm _________ ________."  
  
Tony smiled at you, "Hello! Well aren't you lovely..." You rolled your eyes at his comment as you shook his hand. "Now, if you're looking for a one night stand, I can get you in this Thursday, but if you're looking for a consultation I am only available from five to eight every other Thursday."  
  
"Actually, Mr. Stark-"  
  
"Call me Tony."  
  
"Ok...Tony... I was actually only hoping to have a conversation with you. An intelligent conversation," You explained, looking at him with hopeful eyes.  
  
He looked you over for a moment before saying, "Why not! You seem smart. What would you like to talk about?"  
  
"Well I was hoping to get to know how you created the Iron Man suit."  
  
His eyes gleamed like a little kid who just entered a candy shop, but you could see a hint of pain hiding behind it. He covered up his reluctance to remember his torture and the murder of his only friend in captivity very well. "That, my dear, is a very fun topic! It all started when I was traveling from a weapons demonstration over in the Middle East...."  
  
One Iron Man suit history story and many more drinks later, you were drunk and in a limo Tony rented for you, on the way back to your house. Tony had promised to inform Ashley of where you had gone and to not send you to some random strip club.  
  
Thankfully, he kept his promise.  
  
When you arrived at your house and somehow managed to stumble into your living room, you became aware of the absence of a familiar scent.  
  
Where was the alcohol?  
  
You walked into the kitchen, and saw a sight that made you scream. There, sprawled across the counter, was your father. Dead.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wow has it been a long time since an update! I've finally gotten around to writing. And there will be another chapter right after this to be posted! c: Yee!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! c:

 It was as if time itself had slowed down. Your mind wasn't registering anything that wasn't going on around you; all you heard was a blood curdling scream. It took a moment to realize that you were the one screaming.  
  
In your shocked and startled state, you absent-mindedly reached for your phone, which was sitting on the counter next to your dad. Great. You hesitated a moment before snatching it and turning away from the gruesome sight.  
  
As you shakily tried to hit the numbers '9-1-1' on the key pad, someone grabbed your wrist and yanked you around to face them. You were now looking at a man with pale skin, ebony hair, and high cheekbones. If you weren't drunk and frightened you would have been in awe, but the current situation wasn't going to allow that.  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the handsome intruder whispered dangerously, a smirk crossing his face. You heard the clatter of your phone hit the ground and the shatter of plastic that accompanied it. "Good."  
  
You looked into this man's startlingly green eyes and managed to stutter out, "W-who are you?"  
The man's smirk widened, "That does not matter, _________. You'll find out soon enough."  
  
Your eyes widened at the mention of your name. "H-how do you know my name?!" You squirmed against his tight grip, trying in desperation to get away from him.  
  
The man's hand tightened around your wrist. "I have recently been keeping an eye on you. I know everything about you."  
  
You didn't know how to react. Your knees became weak when a wave of nausea hit you. As you started to fall the strange man caught you in his surprisingly strong arms. "Wouldn't want my sacrifice to be hurt, would we?" He said condescendingly.  
  
Wait, sacrifice?  
  
You looked at him in shock and confusion before asking, "What?"  
  
The man pressed a finger to your lips. "Hush, dear. You will not speak of this encounter; you will not tell anyone that you met me. Do you understand?" You nodded slowly and he continued, "Good. Now, get rid of that body. I thought you might enjoy no longer having to carry the burden of your father on your shoulders." And with those words he simply vanished, leaving a small breeze in his wake. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter as promised c:

Hours had passed since your encounter with the strange man. After the intruder had left, you ignored what he told you not to do and called ‘9-1-1’. You were soon spilling out all the information that your drunk mind could to the police, the FBI, the CIA, and whoever else agreed to listen to you.   
  
  You were now sitting in the back of an ambulance, holding an oxygen mask up to your face as some nurses told you things like “You’re in shock”, and “You’ve been through a lot, you’ll need to rest for a bit”. But you weren’t really listening; all you heard was a slight buzz. You looked up and noticed the nurses walk away and a man take their place, having said he needed to speak to you alone.  
  
  “Ms. _______, I’m agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D., and I would like to ask you a few questions, if you don’t mind,” the man said with a serious tone.   
  
  You looked at him for a moment before asking, “Are you real?”  
  
  Coulson nodded slowly. “Very real.”  
  
  You stared at him for awhile longer before saying, “I’ve never heard of S.H.I.E.L.D. before, so how can I be certain you’re for real?”  
  
  He sighed in exasperation, and then pulled out an I.D. card that had his name, basic info, and what he was qualified to do. Then you saw that the card was issued by S.H.I.E.L.D. You looked Coulson in the eye again and blurted out, “That could be fake. And you could be fake as well.”   
  
  Coulson rubbed his temples in annoyance, “Ma’am, I need you to answer a few questions regarding what you saw.”  
  
  “But-“  
  “First question.” Coulson pulled a notepad and pen from his jacket pocket and flipped it open. “What exactly did you see when you walked onto the scene?”  
  
  “Well, I saw my father: dead. I saw… blood: lots of blood.”  
  
  Coulson nodded and wrote down what you told him. “You told the police that a man came into your house before you could dial them and then vanished into the wind. What did this man look like?”  
  
  You thought for a moment, trying to recall the mysterious man’s image. “He was pale. He had black hair, he was tall, and he wasn’t dressed like any person I’ve ever seen before except for maybe in sci-fi movies. Also, he had emerald green eyes.”  
  
  Coulson stopped writing at the mention of how the man was dressed, “What was he wearing?”   
  
  You blinked at Coulson before answering uncertainly, “He had on a lot of black, green and gold accents, leather pants, over coat, boots; like he was going to a renaissance fair. He also had on a green cape.”  
  
  Agent Coulson nodded then put the notepad away, not needing to write down anything about his clothes. “Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask for you to please come with me. We’re going to have to take you in for further questioning.”  
  
  Not really knowing what you were doing, you stood up and walked with Coulson to a car with the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo on it. You climbed into the back seat, Coulson in the passenger seat.  
  
*~*~*  
  
  Hours later, you sat in a large room across from a black man with an eye patch. He was by far the most intimidating person you ever met. You had answered multiple questions about the incident and, mostly, the man you had seen.   
  
  After one last question about the manner in which the man had disappeared, the eye patch guy, whose name you remembered was Nick Fury, pulled out a photograph and asked you one last question. “Is this the man you saw?”   
  
  You looked down at the photograph and saw him. Same eyes, same hair, same cheekbones, same… everything. You glanced at the top of the photo where the word “Loki” was written on it. You looked back up at Fury and whispered, “Yes.”


	6. Chapter 6

After your final interrogation with S.H.I.E.L.D. was over and the mystery man had been identified, you were relocated to S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ, which, you quickly learned, was basically a floating fortress, for what the organization called “your protection”. You preferred the term “imprisonment”.  
  
You trained there for weeks so you could protect yourself against future attacks from Loki. During that time, S.H.I.E.L.D. had managed to call your employers and get you a paid leave of absence, pay off your next four months rent, and somehow kept Ashley from freaking out about you being in the custody of an organized government agency.  
  
The schedule you lived by was the same every day; get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, train in hand-to-hand combat, eat lunch, train with weapons, shower, change into pajamas, sleep. There were rare occasions in which it changed, usually because they thought something involving Loki had arose.  
  
On one particular day, while you were in the middle of hand-to-hand combat, you received word from Director Fury that Loki had been spotted in a park no too far from where you used to live.  
  
“He’s trying to use your home as bait,” Coulson had said. You said nothing in return.  
  
The thought of facing Loki again made you sick to your stomach. He had killed your father and forced you out of your home. Well, technically, that was S.H.I.E.L.D’s fault, but they wouldn’t have even been interested in you had Loki not entered your life.  
  
You finally came to terms with the feeling that had been growing in your stomach: loathing. Unadulterated loathing.  
  
You hated him.  
  
You wanted him dead.  
  
And you would do whatever it took to ensure that happened.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Presently, you found yourself sitting in one of the quinjets alongside Captain Rogers and Agent Barton, both of whom you had trained with. The two pistols you had been assigned were currently strapped to your thighs, loaded and ready to be used.  
  
The three of you were on a mission to get Loki back into captivity. Since he had been spotted in the park, you were strongly advised not to go along with the boys for fear the he may take you hostage. After much, much arguing, you finally convinced Fury to let you go under the condition that you stay by the side of the Captain.  
  
“So, Loki killed your father?” Steve said, looking down at you from where he was standing.  
  
You nodded sharply, not wanting to talk about it.  
  
“Sorry to hear about that. I hope that getting him back in the cell will make up for the pain he’s caused you.”  
  
You looked up at Steve and smiled softly, even though you knew that locking him up was not enough. “Thanks, Cap.”  
  
After the final word had left your mouth, you felt the jet begin to descend as you neared the final destination.  
  
Your heart began to race at the thought of seeing Loki again. Not out of excitement, but out of hate. The anger you felt for him, which you had pushed to the back of your mind for weeks now, rose as the plane finally touched ground. The rear hatch lowered, and the three of you stepped out of the plane. A crowd of bystanders stared at the jet but focused their gaze on the Captain as they began to whisper amongst themselves about why the famed Captain America was standing in the midst of their small, unimportant park. You glared at them before Steve nudged you softly and gave you a look that told you to refocus.  
  
“All right, Loki was reported to be here in the park, not far from the river,” Steve said quietly as to not gather any more attention from the innocent people.  
  
You looked over at him, “The river?” You glanced at your surroundings and located the path, and immediately started to move to get to the river. To get to Loki.  
  
Preventing you from walking away, Clint grabbed your wrist. “Hey, easy tiger. You can’t just rush into the front lines; Loki’s probably set up a trap for you.  
  
“That’s the most likely thing,” Steve said.  
  
You sighed, “Well then what do we do? We need to get him, but we can’t just march in. What other options are there?” You looked at the two men, waiting for an answer.  
  
“We go in discreetly,” Steve said, throwing one of his guns back into the quinjet. “We go in, we locate Loki, get our weapons, and take him into custody. We split up and cover more ground. And if you don’t find him, get back here, and we’ll wait for the next sighting of him.”  
  
You listened to Cap explain the new plan with annoyance. Was it worth it? Was it worth taking the time to be safe instead of avenging your father? You sighed as you realized your own stupidity. “Fine. But I’m taking a weapon with me.” You patted the gun nestled securely against your thigh. “And neither of you can stop me.” The Hawk and Cap gave each other a look of slight annoyance, as if having a telepathic discussion. Finally, they both complied with your demand.  
  
Clint gestured for Steve to take the lead, “After you, Captain.”  
  
But instead of leading the small group down the path, Steve looked at you and said, “You know the paths better than me, so why don’t you take the lead?”  
  
You looked at Cap with uncertainty, wondering whether he wanted you up there to keep an eye on you or if it was genuinely because you knew the paths around the park. “Fine. But keep up.” With those words, you turned and began to walk down the trail, Captain Rogers and Clint right at your heel.


	7. Chapter 7

The hike down to the river was about three miles, giving your team plenty of time to perfect the minor details of your plan. Before the three of you had begun to traverse the path, Clint thought to put on disguises, since not only would going in with full gear draw the attention of a crowd of gawking bystanders, but, more importantly, Loki. It was imperative that you weren’t seen, at least not until you needed to be.  
  
In order to make it truly look like you were casual park-goers, the costumes you had donned were designed to create the illusion that you and Steve were a couple, and that Clint was an avid bird watcher. Clint harbored no objections against his role.  
  
A code had also been made so that messages could be passed from person to person without anyone knowing what it truly meant. They were all bird-themed so that if you and Steve met up with Clint, it would look like you were talking about birds.  
  
“A hawk just landed,” or, “that hawk just landed,” meant the Clint had gotten down to the river.  
  
“Raven” was code for Loki.  
  
“Baby birds” translated to “Loki’s allies and minions.  
  
“Disturbed nest,” meant that you had been spotted or drawn attention to yourself.  
  
For you and Steve, “I saw the raven too,” meant that you had already seen Loki. For Clint, it was “I already got a photo of it.”  
  
“I didn’t see any ravens,” meant that you hadn’t seen Loki in a certain area.  
  
And finally, “I read there aren’t ravens in this area,” meant that none of you could find Loki and to head back to HQ  
  
With Steve’s hand in yours and Barton trailing you by a good half mile, you finally made it to the river bank.  
  
You and Steve walked to the river bank and looked down into the water, pretending to look for marine life as you looked out for Loki.  
Nonchalantly, you leaned into Cap, resting your head on his shoulder. “Let’s keep walking.”  
  
You turned with Steve and walked downstream, looking around and surveying the area as if you were interested in the landscape.  
  
Steve’s hand slipped to your waist as he leaned down to whisper, “Good idea; S.H.I.E.L.D. had said he was spotted further downstream.” As you began to walk, a question formed in his head that made him realize how little he knew about you. “When did you become such a couples expert?”  
  
“I took high school theatre,” you explained with a smile.  
  
He nodded and laughed, “That makes sense. And here I was thinking you’d had at least a dozen other romantic interests.”  
  
You laughed and shook your head. “No, only four others.”  
  
Steve looked confused. “Only four? Come on, someone as gre-” He was cut off by the buzz from your pocket that alerted you that you’d received a text.  
  
You pulled out your phone and read the message. You slipped it back into your pocket before suddenly grabbing Steve’s arm, looking into the trees, and saying, “Look! A hawk just landed!”  
  
Steve looked around as he nodded. “I saw it! It was a gorgeous bird.”  
  
You and Steve continued your walk. The discussions you two shared ranged from modern technology to what was good at the burger joint down the street from Stark Tower. In the middle of a discussion about Broadway, you happened to look to your right and spot Loki. He was dressed in casual Earth clothes of green and black. He was preoccupied with trying to set up a camera next to a boulder, as if he was going to take some shots of the land around him.  
  
You froze for half a second before you squeezed Steve’s hand and said, “Look at that raven!”  
  
Steve looked in the direction you pointed, which was a bit to the left of Loki. He saw him too and nodded. “I see it.”  
  
Instead of attacking immediately, you both kept walking straight for awhile longer. Once you were out of eye shot, Steve and you turned around and began your hike back up the river bank, trying to not be seen by Loki.  
  
As you continued your hike, you spotted Clint coming your way. You veered a small amount to your left, just enough to bump shoulders with the other agent.  
  
Once you had walked into each other, you immediately said, “Oh, sorry! I wasn’t paying attention.”  
  
Clint chuckled as he rubbed his shoulder. “Nah, it’s fine, it’s fine. Just as long as the camera is okay, I’m okay.” He gestured to the expensive camera in his hand.  
  
You and Steve both looked down at the camera. Steve looked up and pretended to take note of the back pack he had and the varying types of seeds and feeds in the pouches. He also glanced pointedly at the binoculars around his neck.  
  
“Are you a bird watcher?” Steve asked with mock interest.  
  
Clint nodded and answered, “Indeed I am. You guys seen anything out here?”  
  
“Well, we did see a raven not too far down the river from here,” you said as you jerked your head in the direction Loki was located.  
  
Clint grinned. “A raven? Damn, haven’t gotten a decent shot of one of those in a while. Thanks! And if you see anything else, can you let me know?”  
  
You nodded as Steve said, “Of course!”  
  
“Awesome. Again, thank you.”  
  
You parted ways with Clint and continued your hike up the river. You and Steve made it to your designated meeting spot and sat down to wait for Clint.  
  
About thirty minutes later, Hawkeye crossed in front of the picnic blanket you and Steve were sitting on.  
  
“Hey, it’s the Bird Man!” Steve said with humor in his tone.  
  
Clint laughed. “That’s James Audubon. But yes, it’s me.”  
  
You grinned at his comment, knowing that was all Clint. “Did you see the raven?”  
  
He nodded. “Yup. Got some nice photos, but in the process, I managed to disturb a nest.”  
  
You glanced at Steve as he said, “Aw man. That sucks. Well, we gotta go. We’ve got a movie to catch across town. See ya around, Bird Man.”  
  
You and Steve got up from the blanket and folded it up, “Maybe we’ll see each other again. Bye, have fun!” You called as you waved at him. The two of you arrived at the second meeting place: a large RV you had borrowed from S.H.I.E.L.D.


	8. Chapter 8

Not long after you arrived, Clint came running in to the RV. “We have got to hurry. He knows we’re here.”  
  
Steve nodded. “We know. Let’s contact S.H.I.E.L.D. and get changed. Then we’ll go and take him into custody.”  
  
You all changed out of the civilian costumes into hero wear and left the RV, weapons and shield in hand. You had gotten a hold of HQ while Clint had called in back-up. As the three of you walked down the path, you all told each of the civilians you saw to get out of the area as fast as possible but to try not to cause a scene.  
  
Back at the river, Steve began in the direction of Loki. Clint trailed him, and you were not far behind. Finally, you got back to where Loki had been, but instead of being in casual clothes, he was wearing full battle armor.  
  
“Ah, there she is. The prized bird I have been so desperately searching for,” Loki taunted. He turned his attention to the Captain. “Give me the girl, and I will let you and your archer friend go.”  
  
“Snowball’s chance,” Cap shot back. A look of confusion spread to Loki’s face. He didn’t understand what Steve meant.  
  
Loki picked up his scepter from where it was leaning against a boulder. “I only need her. The two of you and the rest of your _Avengers_ , don’t have to get involved.”  
  
Steve shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. You’re not getting her.”  
  
Loki sighed. “Fine.” And before anyone could react he fired directly at Steve.  
  
The energy blast ricocheted off of the Captain’s shield and reflected in a random direction. You sprinted to the left while Clint jumped onto a nearby rock and began to fire at Loki.  
  
You rolled behind a boulder that you had been standing near. You jumped to your feet and raised the pistols to a shooting position, standing in a position that would allow you to duck behind the boulder if necessary. You shot at Loki, but the bullets simply bounced off of him.  
  
You went to duck behind a tree as he was being shot at by Steve and Clint, but before you could get fully behind it, you felt an arm wrap around your waist and pull you back. The illusion of Loki that was being fired at disappeared as the real Loki squeezed you close, trapping your arms in the process.  
  
Loki glared at the two heroes. He also glared at the other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who were arriving to aid your team. You hadn’t noticed them. Among the backup was Tony Stark and the famed Black Widow.  
  
“Make one more move, and we’re gone,” Loki said. No one moved. He placed the tip of his scepter against your neck.  
  
You could feel your heart beating faster than it had ever beat in your entire life. You wondered if anyone else could hear it. But as your heart began to calm down, you remembered what you had been taught in hand-to-hand combat. You remembered being put into an arm hold like this and knew exactly what to do.  
  
You stomped on Loki’s foot, and then as he reacted to the pain, you ducked your head down and head butted upward and into his jaw. You then grabbed his first two fingers and bent them back until he was completely off you. You took the opportunity to punch him in the neck and back up.  
  
Loki glared at you as he recovered from the shock of having been attacked. “You wretch!” he yelled at you. Clearly, he was not happy. He then gathered himself and returned to his full height. He shifted into both an offensive and defensive stance and glanced around, seemingly realizing that this was not a fight he could win.  
  
“I will return for the girl.” And with those words, he disappeared in a flash of green light.  
  
After his vanishing, you suddenly felt drained. You wobbled slightly and sat down on the boulder. Steve saw this and came over to you.  
  
“You okay, kid?” Steve asked as he kneeled in front of you.  
  
You nodded slightly. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just drained.”  
  
Steve nodded, “I know what you mean.”  
  
“Here,” You heard a voice say near you. You glanced to your left and saw Natasha standing in front of you holding about a bottle of water. “This will help.”  
  
You smiled at her gratefully and took it from her. You unscrewed the lid and took a big drink, grateful for Natasha.  
  
“Atta girl. I saw that you used the techniques I taught you on Loki.” Natasha smiled. “You learn fast.”  
  
You grinned sheepishly. “Thanks.”  
  
Not long after, director Fury came onto the scene to begin asking questions, but Tony stopped him from doing so.  
  
“She needs rest,” Tony said.  
  
Fury looked at Tony and retorted, “She can rest after we get an update on what happened.”  
  
Tony gave him a stern look. “No. Rest. Let’s take a vote!” Fury rolled his eyes as the other agents looked in his direction. “Who thinks that Asgard’s most wanted here needs rest?” The majority of the agents raised their hands. Tony smiled at Fury. “It’s settled then.”  
  
Fury sighed and then waved his hand. “Fine. Get her to the Helicarrier so she can rest. Questioning will begin in the morning.”


End file.
